CNN's morning reports (25 May) reported that business
was returning to normal in Jakarta's Capital as Indonesia's new President
B.J. Habibe embarked on a whole series of reforms to achieve a government
he promises will be free of corruption, collusion and nepotism. To underline
the seriousness of his intent in these matters, a number of political
prisoners are expected to be released from prison today and the President's
brother has resigned his government post as the Head of the Batam Island
Authority.

CNN also reported that planes flying into Jakarta
are now fully booked with expatriates and Indonesian citizen who fled
the city during the recent unrest.

In the words of CNN, "Indonesia is turning the corner"
on it recent national crisis.

BALI'S TOURISM CHIEF
APPEALS TO FOREIGN AMBASSADORS

Chief of Tourism for Bali, Mr. Luther Barrung, dispatched
letters to a number of foreign Ambassadors based in Jakarta last Saturday
appealing for an urgent lifting of travel prohibitions to Bali:

Quoting from Mr. Barrung's letter to the Ambassadors:

BEGIN QUOTE

"Recent travel warnings on travel to Indonesia,
announced by your Government, have caused visitors from your Country
to flee Bali and others planning a visit to the island to cancel their
trips. This development has had catastrophic economic consequences on
our local tourism industry which is the source of employment for over
500,000 family heads."

"Several countries, including the United Kingdom
and Australia, have wisely chosen to view Bali as a separate case and
correctly informed their nationals that the situation in Bali remains
peaceful and calm. As a result, nationals from these countries have been
able to enjoy peaceful and safe holidays in Bali."

"Even during the height of the recent public unrest
in Jakarta, demonstrations in Bali remained largely peaceful and were
limited to the Campus area in the heart of Denpasar. Normal operations
of hotels, tourist attractions, and tours have been completely unaffected
local protests for National reform. Events over recent days have brought
about a change in the Nations leadership and promise widespread reform
in society, all of which are steps likely to reduce even further the
tensions which precipitated the tragic unrest in Jakarta over the past
weeks."

"The Bali tourism community fully appreciates that
you, as the Ambassador of your Country, have an absolute responsibility
to protect the health and safety of your Country's citizens. At the same
time we pray that your Government can consider Bali as a separate case,
given the lack of any significant incidents over the past, its continuing
peaceful atmosphere and the improving political atmosphere now emerging
in Indonesia."

"We also implore you or your representative to
urgently come to Bali in order to asses the security situation on a first-hand
basis. We have every certainty that such a visit will demonstrate that
visitors from your Country are not at risk in visiting our island."

"Both my staff and the members of the Bali tourism
Community would welcome the opportunity to host such a visit and would,
of course, open wide our doors for a complete review of the local situation
here."

END QUOTE

WILL YOU HELP?

The readers of this newsletter now represent more
than 400 people involved in Bali tourism around the World. Your urgent
assistance is sought on behalf of the people of Bali to exercise your
contacts in your respective foreign offices to demand an urgent re-examination
of travel bans affecting Bali.

An ideal solution would be an urgent lifting if these
bans together with an acknowledgement that at no time were tourism services
on our island affected by the unrest in the Capital.

THE LIGHTER SIDE: FROM
OUR CORRESPONDENT IN UBUD

Obviously, Bali desperately needs more tourists.
My correspondent in UBUD, some 25 minutes north of Denpasar, reported
the following:

"Some students attempted to have a peaceful demonstration
here in Ubud on the 20th, but had to cancel the event when they were mobbed
by drivers offering transport and women wanting to sell them sarungs."